Week 16: Slow Cooker Melt in Your Mouth Pot Roast

“Well, that was a flop.”

- My Husband

This week’s recipe was “Slow Cooker Melt in Your Mouth Pot Roast”, and can be found here.  My husband wasn’t wrong.  It was kind of a flop... a dud... a swing and a miss.  I chose this recipe because I am a “meat and potatoes” kind of girl.  I also love a good crock pot recipe!  The risk with trying new recipes is the disappointment you may feel when they don’t turn out as good as you were hoping.  I feel that this disappointment becomes stronger with crock pot recipes.  Think about it.  Crock pot recipes are supposed to be easily assembled and come out p-e-r-f-e-c-t.  They’re supposed to be a no brainer.  Also, unlike so many other recipes, crock pot recipes can take HOURS.  This week’s recipe could take up to NINE!  Yup.  You have all that time to think about how yummy dinner is going to be.  So, when the meat comes out bland and tough, and the potatoes are hard and a weird grayish color, and the carrots are simply not done... yeah, it can be a disappointment.  

So, as you can tell I was “disappointed” with this week’s recipe.  It took about seven hours for the meat to cook, but the vegetables definitely weren’t done in that time.  Because the potatoes weren’t submerged in the beef broth, they did kind of turn an unappealing gray color.  I ended up taking all the veggies out of the crock pot and boiling them on the stove.  Aaaaaand... that’s about all I have to say about that.  If I was going to try this recipe again, I would add enough broth so that the carrots and potatoes were completely covered.  I would also try a different cut of meat... something that would be inclined to do that whole fall apart with a fork crock pot effect that I enjoy so much.  

Mom

"Part of my plan included giving up red meat, which I did without a fight.  

I really haven't missed it.  Except for one thing...pot roast."         

 - Charlie Lester

Who doesn't like pot roast?  I know I do!  And, I have a favorite recipe that was my mother's.

So, when Anna suggested this recipe, I wondered if I would like it.  First of all, the recipe called for a different cut of meat, chuck steak, and I usually use a rump roast.  And, then vegetables are cooked with the roast in a crock pot, adding to prep time.

The prep work wasn't so time consuming after all.  It truly is a one-pot, crock pot meal.  No need to cook vegetables later.  It might be time consuming for those folks who are trying to get to work early in the morning, but I no longer have to worry about that!  I followed the directions, put everything in the crock pot, turned it on low, and went about my day.  The house was soon filled with a heavenly smell, loved it

I discovered late afternoon, that my meal was done and it wasn't really dinner time, so I turned the crock pot off, for an hour.  As dinner time approached, I re-read the directions to make the gravy and decided I would do it differently.  I turned the crock pot on to high and removed the veggies and meat to a bowl and placed it in a warm oven.  I removed about a 1/4 cup of the cooking juices and added that to the cornstarch.  After whisking it back into the pot, I let the gravy thicken.  A quick and easy way to make the gravy.

Hmmm!  Did this pot roast, with vegetables, pass the "Honey, would you eat this again, test?"

Well, yes and no.  Honey gave the pot roast a 5 "yums" up, but found the vegetables very salty.  I have to say I agree with him.  In addition, I hate the way potatoes look when cooked in a crock pot.  The real question, for me, is which recipe will I use next time?  My mother's, or this version?

Slow Cooker "Melt in Your Mouth" Pot Roast

Ingredients:

• 1 chuck roast (mine was 3 pounds)
• Olive oil
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 2 stalks celery, cut into large chunks (optional)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoons corn starch

Seasoning Mix:

• 2 tablespoons steak seasoning (mine is store-bought and has a blend of peppercorns, garlic, paprika, parsley and salt)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
  
  

Directions:

1. Combine together seasoning mix in a small bowl.  Set aside.
2. Coat both sides of meat with olive oil.  Sprinkle on a third of the seasoning mix onto each side. 
3. Sear both sides of the meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Transfer roast to slow cooker.
   
   
   
   
4. Place the vegetables in a large bowl.  Drizzle on a little olive oil to coat vegetables.  Sprinkle on the remaining seasoning mix.  Add the vegetables to the same skillet that was used to sear the meat. Sauté for about five minutes - stirring occasionally.
   
5. Transfer the vegetables to the top of the roast in the slow cooker.  Pour in the beef broth. Cover with lid.
6. Cook on low for 9 hours or on high for 6 hours.
7. Using a turkey baster, retrieve most of the cooking juices from the slow cooker.  Transfer juices to a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat on the stovetop.  Whisk together the cornstarch with a little water.  Blend into the pan juices while whisking.  Bring back to a simmer until thickened.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
8. Transfer the roast and vegetables to a large platter.  Ladle the gravy over.  Serve immediately.